Agenda item

The Board will consider a report giving key highlights from the latest Performance Monitoring data for the Children’s Service and will receive a verbal update from Laura Caunce, Head of Service - Children's Sufficiency Resources, Improvement & Partnerships, in respect of Fostering.

Contacts:

Julie Bragg, Head of Corporate Parenting (Children in Care and Care Leavers)

Janet Tolley, Virtual School Headteacher

Laura Caunce, Head of Service - Children's Sufficiency Resources, Improvement & Partnerships

The Board considered a report giving key highlights on Performance Monitoring data for Children’s Services.

Julie Bragg, Head of Corporate Parenting, presented the performance data relating to ‘children entering care’ and ‘children in care and placement stability’. It was reported the data up to February 2021 showed improvements across all performance indicators, which included a slight decrease in the numbers of children coming into care, a reduction in the number of placements outside of Kirklees, fewer placement moves and a decrease in the number of  changes of social workers.

In response to a question from the Board concerning  data relating to stability meetings, it was agreed that the possibility of reporting this information in the Children’s Performance Highlight Reportwould be discussed at a briefing of the relevant portfolio holder.

Sara Miles , Head of Service, Resources, Improvements and Partnerships presented the performance data relating ‘Looked After Children (LAC) Reviews, Visiting, and Missing’.  It was advised that the performance indicator showed that 98% of reviews were held within the designated timescales which was an improvement on the average for the proceeding 12 month period.

Anna Gledhill, Service Manager Quality Assurance and Social Work Practice Lead, Children and Families, gave an update on children’s advocacy in relation to Looked After Reviews during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Feedback on the virtual process from those individuals who required an advocate had been mixed with some reporting that they had found it difficult to receive support virtually. It was advised that the feedback given by children and young people was to be central in developing the future approach.

In response, the Board highlighted that it was important to recognise that each child had different support requirements and suggested that multiple options were provided to ensure that individual needs were met. The Board also requested that the outcomes and decisions made in relation to this piece of work be presented at a future meeting of the Board.

Responding to a previous question asked by the Board relating to understanding missing episodes, Elaine McShane, Service Director, Family Support and Child Protection, suggested that the data relating to LAC and the different types of missing episodes be provided at a future meeting of the Board. The Board welcomed this suggestion and further requested that this information included a breakdown of the different types of placements in relation to LAC going missing.

Janet Tolley, Virtual School Head Teacher, briefed the Panel on the work of the Virtual School during the Covid-19 pandemic and the support provided to children through the transition back into education.  It was noted that a  blended approach going forward may be adopted and the key priorities of the Virtual School were:

·       To continue the completion of termly Personal Education Plans with transition support, and support for working from home where necessary.

·       Targeting Attendance/Persistent absence as a high priority whilst being sensitive to the emotional impact the pandemic will have had on young people.

·       Maintaining a strong focus on pupils not in full time education provision.

·       To reduce school moves and the number of young people with a break in educational provision whenever possible.

The Board noted the update and thanked Janet Tolley and the Virtual School for their work in supporting children with their education throughout the pandemic. 

Gill Addy, Designated Nurse for LAC in Kirklees, presented the data relating to ‘LAC Health’. It was reported that:

·       Dental registrations had begun to increase following the pause on all routine and non-essential dental work during the national lockdown.

·       The Dental Commissioner for West Yorkshire was asked to circulate communications to dentists to ask them to prioritise vulnerable LAC children.

·       The data relating to Substance Abuse was collected from the ‘review health assessments,’ but it was noted that this information related mainly to high level use.

·       This data provided in the report was reliant on young people reporting a substance misuse problem during the health assessments.

The Board congratulated Gill Addy for her work in supporting dental registrations for LAC and it was agreed that further discussions would take place to identify a new way of collating data relating to substance misuse and LAC.

In relation to adoption, Julie Bragg advised that a report was being prepared for presentation at the Quality Assurance Panel, which would contain more detail around adoption. The Board requested that this report be provided to a future meeting of the Board.

Laura Caunce, Head of Service, Children’s Sufficiency, Resources, Improvement and Partnerships presented the data relating to new carers approved , de-registration’s and placements.

During the discussion to follow the Board asked questions about exit interviews and what had been learnt in order to reduce de-registrations.

Laura Caunce explained that it was important to focus on a combination of strengthening the recruitment process alongside improving the support to Foster Carers. It was agreed that information relating to exit interviews, the number that had taken place and any key findings be provided to a later meeting of the Board.

The Board further asked about the progress made on ‘the mockingbird model’ (a  method of supporting Foster Carers in Crisis) which was put on hold during the  pandemic. Julie Bragg advised that a Hub-Carer and Liaison Officer had been successfully recruited and  the aim was for this to be implemented  alongside the Fostering Modernisation proposals.

          RESOLVED – 

1.             That the Board noted the Children’s Performance Highlight Report and thanked all presenting officers for their contributions.

2.             It was agreed that ‘the inclusion of data relating to stability meetings in the Children’s Performance Highlight Report’ would be discussed during a subsequent briefing of the Cabinet portfolio holder.  

3.             It was agreed that multiple options for the approach to Children’s advocacy and Looked after Reviews would be provided and that these  options and any  decisions made be presented at a future meeting of the Board.

4.             It was agreed that further discussions would take place to identify a new way of collating data relating to substance misuse and LAC.

5.             That data showing the different type of missing episodes and a breakdown of placements types in relation to LAC going missing be provided at a future meeting of the Board.

6.             That the adoption report for the Quality Assurance Panel also be presented at a future meeting of the Board.

7.             It was agreed that information relating to exit interviews, the number that had taken place and any key findings be provided to a later meeting of the Board.